Sitting gallantly on a cliff top, the gothic ruins of Whitby Abbey tower over the North Yorkshire seaside town; a place which has inspired some literary greats.

Visitors trek up 199 steps to the Church of St Mary which sits close to the Abbey, a scene which inspired Bram Stoker to write his classic novel – Dracula.

The vampire legend was shipwrecked off the Yorkshire coast, coming ashore in the guise of a black dog to wreak havoc.

Now over 100 years since Stoker’s death, his legacy lives on and thousands flock to the Whitby Gothic Weekend which is one of the biggest festivals of its kind in the world.

Since its launch in 1994, the event has become so popular it is held twice a year with the next one scheduled for November 1-3.

The town becomes a mecca for Goths dressed up in their finery for an unforgettable weekend of music, dancing and partying.

For those who can’t make the festival, try the Whitby Dracula Society who organise bespoke ‘Dracula walks’ day or night bringing the story to life. Stoker isn’t the only literary great to be captured by Whitby’s spell. Lewis Carroll is said to have written much of Alice in Wonderland there. His frequent visits are commemorated with a blue plaque at the quirky La Rosa hotel where he said to have stayed.

Dickens and Tennyson are also known to have enjoyed the hospitality of Whitby’s inns.

The great explorer Captain Cook trained there as a seaman, leading to epic voyages of discovery. Today his life is celebrated at the Captain Cook Memorial Museum based in the 17th century house on Whitby’s harbour where the young James Cook lodged as apprentice.

After a trip to enjoy Whitby’s rich historic roots, there’s the golden sand Blue Flag beach – an ideal spot for tucking into some of its famous fish and chips.

Try the Magpie Cafe, Trenchers, Graveley’s and Quayside or enjoy a meal in Green’s of Whitby, a restaurant and bistro owned by National Seafood Chef of the Year, Rob Green.

The fishing heritage is an important part of the town, with its fishing fleet renowned for harvesting high quality fish.

For visitors there are boat trips aplenty including whale watching tours as the coastline boasts a rich variety of sealife including whales, seals, dolphins and porpoises.

From Whitby, head by steam train into the North York Moors National Park where there’s an abundance of forest and woodland, with ancient trees and diverse flora and fauna.

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway steam engines are lovingly restored and authentic, with smoke pouring from the engines as passengers chug through the rural stations to Pickering, one of the area’s oldest towns, founded in 270BC.

The celebrity station of Goathland is a popular stop off as it featured in Harry Potter and in the ITV programme Heartbeat.

Dalby Forest within the park is well known for mountain biking and has previously hosted the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.

Big name bands and music acts perform at open-air concerts there each summer and to see the forest from new heights, try the Go Ape! tree top ropes course.

From historic legends to exhilarating mountain bike tracks to the best fish and chips in Britain, Whitby and its moors offer the ultimate break. And you’re guaranteed a warm Yorkshire welcome on top.

For more information go to yokrshire.com.